1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a device for controlling and training animals. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved horse halter. Specifically, the present invention relates to a horse halter having a combination of flat straps and rope positioned to provide more comfort to the horse and greater control to the horse handler or trainer.
2. Background Information
Managing a horse involves communication between the horse and the human handler, trainer, owner or rider. Horses are able to learn and obey commands communicated by the handler. This learning process takes time and can be hindered or facilitated by the manner in which the handler or rider communicates with the horse. Horses have a tendency to resist or push into steady pressure when spread across a wide surface area, for example a harness collar for pulling heavy loads. For example, if a handler is signaling the horse to come to a stop by applying steady pressure, the horse may ignore the command or try to resist if it is applied with a thick, wide tool.
A great number of devices exist for performing this communication. These devices generally work by transferring some physical motion made by the handler or rider into a form of physical contact with the horse's body. Most horse-control devices are worn over a horse's head, partly because certain parts of a horse's head are particularly sensitive to contact, and the head is the best point of control for the whole animal.
Horse halters are devices placed on the heads of horses to guide and lead the horse. They are ordinarily made of a framework of leather or nylon webbing straps that lay flat against the skin surface to fit on the horse's head. This webbing-type head halter typically consists of a noseband running across the bridge of the nose and a poll strap (crown piece/headband), which runs down behind the ears and has a connected throat strap. The nose band is connected at opposite ends to respective cheek pieces, such as by means of metal hardware on nylon web halters. A lead line connected to the halter allows a handler to apply a forward, backward, left, right, and downward pressure to the horse's nose through the nose band, chin piece, cheek strap and poll strap.
Problems continue to exist with conventional webbing-type flat halters. Webbing halters are often constructed of wide nylon strap material around the nose and jaw (or jowl) of the horse. This wide material encourages the horse to lean or press against the wide strap when a command signal is given by the trainer via a lead line, rather than obeying the command signal.
Additionally, other types of halters exist. A rope halter is one that is primarily made from spun rope, or yacht rope, tied or fashioned together to lay around the horse's head. Rope halters have a nose rope that extends over the bridge of the horse's nose exerting pressure to the horse's nose when the lead line is pulled by the trainer.
Problems continue to exist with conventional rope halters. Rope halters lack handiness for the horse trainer and often cause a physically awkward dispersal of pressure on the horse's head when a control signal is given to the horse via the lead line. This is because the rope halter's simple construction and design allows the rope halter to shift relative to the horse's head and may be outside an effective pressure point range on the horse's head.
Therefore a need continues to exist for an improved halter device.